29 December 2014

I hadn't purchased any big Tolkien-related items recently, and my jewellery collection was just begging to be added to – so I finally treated myself to the silver version of the One Ring that I'd had my eye on for nearly a decade now. Merry Christmas to me!

Silver One Ring with plain lettering

As with my first One Ring replica, I ordered this from My Precious Fantasy Webshop, whom I now trust with all of my Tolkien-inspired jewellery purchases. The attention to detail is amazing; the strokes of Elvish Tengwar are without flaw. What's more, the prices at My Precious Fantasy Webshop are very reasonable. If you're looking for a great replica of the Ring of Power, look no further.

Barahir and the silver One Ring

I'm ecstatic to finally have a replica of the One Ring that I can wear every day alongside my other replicas. And with a birthday coming up in three more months, I now have to decide which ring(s)/necklace(s) I want next from My Precious!

30 November 2014

Not sure what to get the Tolkien fan in your life this holiday season? I've compiled a short list of suggestions (based on my own collection and experiences with various retailers) to help you get started.

Hope and love are dominant themes in The Lord of the
Rings. These are two of the most desperately needed virtues today in a
world entrenched in a culture of death, despair, and lust, due to the instant
and 24 hour access the media provides. Those in the Red Book are no more exempt
from darkness than we, but the examples of hope, love, courage, and fidelity in
the tale give us inspiration and strength to keep going.

One of the most important exercises of hope is Gandalf’s
for Gollum. He acknowledges the small possibility of this, but it is still
there. Because he refuses to abandon it, the Elves in Mirkwood treat him
kindly, and Frodo actively works toward it also. We need to have this same hope
for those who appear lost, for as Bilbo and Sam point out, “Where’s
there life there’s hope”
(Hobbit 288, LotR IV:7, 685).

Galadriel’s words, “on
one hand lies darkness, and on the other only hope”
(LotR II:8, 367) are also powerful for Tolkien’s
world as he and his family lived through the dark years of WWII and for our
present day which has witnessed so many senseless acts of hatred and violence.

Dimitra Fimi makes note of the shared faith of Tolkien and
the poet Francis Thompson and Tolkien’s admiration of the man’s
mystical work, especially noting from The Kingdom of God:

O World
invisible, we view thee,

O World
intangible, we touch thee,

O World
unknowable, we know thee,

Inapprehensible,
we clutch thee! (qtd. in Tolkien, Race 43)

These words remind me of two more times during the War of
the Ring where hope is strongly present. As the siege of Minas Tirith is about
to start, with no sign of hoped-for reinforcements, Pippin perceives that
Gandalf remains joyful inside. The wizard has faith in his Creator and His
plans, so he does not perceive just the dire straits of the present but beyond
them to the future. Denethor says such “hope is but ignorance”
(LotR V:7, 835). But it is not. It is faith and trust. Because Gandalf
hopes, Pippin hopes. This also brings to mind the profound experience that Sam
has upon seeing the star in Mordor, which shows him that while he and Frodo
toil in darkness on the ground, there is beauty far above that evil cannot touch
or mar. The words Thompson uses bring to brighter light the deep hope Gandalf
and Sam both have that the present darkness is not all there is.
.

06 November 2014

Earlier, Warner Bros. released the official trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The trailer opens somberly with numerous characters addressing Thorin, reminding him of the promises he has made and the terror he has unleashed. We do not see Smaug in this trailer, which leads me to believe his defeat will occur sometime in the first part of the movie, leaving the majority of the film to focus on the titular battle as everyone seeks to defend what they have reclaimed.

We get a quick glimpse of Saruman ("leave Sauron to me") which is probably my favourite part of the trailer. While those who have already read Tolkien's books or seen Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy know that Saruman is working with the Dark Lord, I cannot wait to see more of the White Council and Saruman's growing betrayal of his Order play out on the big screen. Of all the material that's been added, whether it be from the appendices or made up entirely, this is the one I am most interested in. (Sometimes I wish they'd filmed The Hobbit first, just to make the betrayal all the more shocking to moviegoers who have not read any of the books.)

Of course, we also get a glimpse into the Kili/Tauriel romance; he is seen giving her what is presumably his runestone, and later in the trailer we see her tearfully looking up from what appears to be Kili's body. I stand by my belief that it is an unnecessary love story, but at the same time, it will certainly add weight to his death.

As we've come to expect from Jackson and his team, the Battle of the Five Armies is going to be epic – and given that he's had 10 years to improve his skills, I'll wager that this battle will be his most impressive one yet. Between this and the White Council, you can bet I'll be giving this film a chance next month!

04 November 2014

The extended edition of The Hobbit: The Desolation of
Smaug is out on DVD, Blu-ray™, and Blu-ray 3D™ today! Featuring an additional
25 minutes of footage and more than nine hours of new special features (including commentary with director Peter Jackson, The Appendices – The Appendices Parts IX and X, and New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth – Part 2), this
edition is a must-have for any Hobbit fan.

While my opinion of the Hobbit films is still rather
mixed (I have enjoyed them as standalone films, but not so much as adaptations), I found I enjoyed – for
the most part – the extended edition of The Desolation of Smaug. As per usual, Peter Jackson's extras come in small pieces here and there as well as in wholly new scenes. Whatever their form, the extra
footage adds more depth to a few characters and situations within the film,
hearkening back to Tolkien's original story and enhancing the overall narrative.

One of my favourite scenes was the introduction of the
Dwarves to Beorn. Where his presence in the theatrical cut was very limited, almost
to the point of being unnecessary altogether, his character in the extended
version is deeper and more in keeping with Tolkien's distrustful skin-changer. When
he speaks to Gandalf as the Company prepares to depart for Mirkwood, it is
clear that he is not just a skin-changer, but instead a being connected more deeply to Middle-earth and fully aware of the growing darkness; hence his willingness to
help those he distrusts. Though brief, this conversation adds a heightened sense of
dread – not just to the forest but to the film as a whole – which is something
I thought was lacking in the theatrical cut.

The extended Mirkwood scenes are another important
inclusion, in my opinion. The Company's journey through the forest was so
fast-paced in the theatrical cut that it hardly felt like they had spent any
time there at all. Their exposure to the forest's enchanted waters and
their ensuing drowsiness helps to prolong the scene and create the illusion
that they have been there for an increasingly long time.

Not found in Tolkien's The Hobbit, but still a welcome addition to the story, is Gandalf's
encounter with Thráin. I think my favourite scenes in the Hobbit
films are those in Dol Guldur: Peter Jackson and his team accurately and
appropriately portray the darkness that is overtaking Mirkwood. When Gandalf
finds Thráin, he is initially under the Enemy's hold; when he comes to, he is
still deeply disturbed by whatever he has endured in the fortress of the
Necromancer, but his focus remains on his son, Thorin. For a moment or two,
we all probably hope for a father-son reunion – that is, until the Necromancer
intervenes and reclaims Thráin.

The only characters to not benefit from the extra
material are Alfrid and the Master of Lake Town. While we are given more of a
glimpse into just how greedy and materialistic the two characters are, neither
of them are in any way likeable – or even pitiable. To see an actor as amazing
as Stephen Fry reduced to a character almost as looney and repulsive as The
Lord of the Rings films' Denethor is a real shame. There is little room left
for sympathy if and when the time comes (spoiler alert!) when the Master succumbs
to the dragon-sickness and ultimately dies of starvation after being abandoned
by his friends and followers.

Overall, I enjoyed the extended cut much more than the theatrical. The extra scenes provided more character and setting development, and were engaging enough that the additional runtime is barely noticeable. While I have not yet watched any of the behind the scenes footage, I am looking forward to doing that over the next few days!

----------

For more details on the extended edition, please view the press
release I posted back in August!

Will you be picking up a copy of The Desolation of Smaug
Extended Edition (or have you already)? Leave a comment and let me know why/why
not!

09 October 2014

On October 9th in the year 3018 of the Third Age, Glorfindel sets out from Rivendell; on the 11th he meets the Black Riders and drives them off the Bridge of Mitheithel. Frodo and his companions cross the bridge two days later. At dusk on the 18th of October, he is found by Glorfindel; meanwhile, Gandalf arrives in Rivendell. On October 20, Glorfindel assists Frodo across the Ford of Bruinen, where the horses of the Black Riders are carried off by a large current.

02 October 2014

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is now available on PC and all next-gen consoles. While I can't wait to check this game out for myself to see how well (if at all) the narrative fits into Tolkien's canon, I'm stuck waiting until the game's PS3 release on November 18 (I think I'll prefer console to PC, in this case). In the meantime, I am enjoying the game vicariously through friends' reviews and YouTube videos.

Corey Brooks (@LOTRHobbit93 on Twitter), a friend and fellow gamer/Tolkien fan, was kind enough to allow me to host his review of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor here on my blog.

One does not simply walk into Mordor. Unless you're the Gondorian ranger
Talion. Then it's as easy as Legolas taking down orcs in Mirkwood.
Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor is the Middle-earth game many have been waiting
for. While Middle-earth in the format of video games has had a rich history
(ranging from great to not-so-great outings), none but The Lord Of The Rings
Online have truly been amazing and fun games to play for hours on end while
vividly bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's world to life. And while I've enjoyed every
Middle-earth game that's been released, some have been waiting for a truly
great virtual experience set in this world. Shadow Of Mordor has changed this,
and definitely set the bar pretty high for future outings of Middle-earth
related games.

Photo: Corey Brooks

The game follows Talion, a ranger of Gondor who, along with his family, is
slain at the Black Gate of Mordor, where he has been stationed to keep watch
over the cursed land. Some SPOILERS will follow on the story, so if you haven't
played yet or do not want to be spoiled, then look away! Right off the bat the
tone, very brutal and sad as Talion one moment spars with his son, then is
being beaten bloody by an orc. I've never actually cried playing a video game
before, but the moment Talion and his family are killed, and how he tells his
son "I'm right here! Look at me!", really had me balling my eyes out,
and matches the emotional scale of Peter Jackson's Middle-earth films. After a
heart wrenching opening, Talion is brought back from the dead by a wraith, who
after regaining memories of his past, finds out he is Celebrimbor, the greatest
smith of the Second Age, and forger of the Rings of Power, and together, they
try to find out why this has happened, along the way also avenging the death of
Talion's family by the Black Hand, a servant of Sauron. The story is
fantastically done, having a nice cinematic feel to it, with brilliant motion
capture and voice work by Troy Baker, who portrays Talion. Players will
encounter Gollum, and I love the Frodo/Sam relationship that Talion and
Celebrimbor have with the gangly creature. Talion also aligns himself with a
cowardly orc called Ratbag, who'll do anything to become a warchief, which also
will play in Talion's favor amongst the ranks of Sauron's army. Talion and Ratbag's
relationship is pure gold, and had me laughing many, many times.

30 September 2014

On this day in the year 3018 of the Third Age, Crickhollow and the Prancing Pony Inn are raided in the early hours by Black Riders; Frodo and his friends depart from Bree; Gandalf reaches Crickhollow and by nightfall arrives in Bree.

23 September 2014

On this day in the year 3018 of the Third Age, four Riders enter the Shire while the remaining five pursue the Rangers; they all meet back up to watch the Greenway. A Black Rider reaches Hobbiton at nightfall. Frodo departs from Bag End.

22 September 2014

Tolkien Week – a week-long celebration of Tolkien, as the name rightly implies – kicked off yesterday. Today, Tolkien fans celebrate the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. In honour of Hobbit Day, I will be reading from one of my favourite books, The Hobbit, and later, enjoying some pumpkin pie and hard cider – and what better place to do so than in my own Shire?

The rest of Tolkien Week typically involves reading more Tolkien, especially in schools, libraries, and bookstores. If you are a parent or teacher, you may consider reading from The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to your children or students (if you haven't done so already). But really, there is no wrong way to celebrate Hobbit Day or Tolkien Week.

I have also prepared a Feast Week post for Middle-earth News, which will go live tomorrow. Here's a sneak peek:

13 September 2014

In a tale strewn with heroes,
Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin all discover they are braver than they
ever thought they could be, as they do what they need to out of love. They learn
as we have that evil is alive and well in the world but that such powers
“cannot conquer for ever” as Frodo boldly proclaims at the Cross-roads (LotR VI:7, 687). These tales show that
“evil labours with vast power and perpetual success - in vain: preparing always
only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in” (Tolkien, Letters 76). Out of the darkness and because of the darkness, many
heroic acts of love, faith, humility, and self-sacrifice abound.

Of
all these heroes, Sam is the greatest. This humble gardener shines as a bright
light in the Ring-bearer’s darkening world and in our own. Sam’s selfless
devotion is an example par excellence
of what a loyal friend is. This “jewel among the hobbits” (Tolkien, Letters 88) voluntarily endures torment
and terror on the Quest “only for the sake of one he loves beyond everything
else” (Bradley 124). He turns aside his own desires, faces down his fears, and
repeatedly risks his life, so he can remain at his master’s side. “Wherever you
go, I will go” (Ruth 1:17). He gives up much of his share of food, water, and
sleep in order to give Frodo more. Such love approaches “religious devotion”
(Bradley 121) by the time the Ring-bearers’ near the Fire. Through Sam and the
friendship the hobbits share, which Ralph C. Wood calls “a thing of exquisite
beauty, even holiness” (Gospel According
to Tolkien 135), we learn much of love, loyalty, endurance, perseverance,
faith, goodness, and hope. Sam’s sterling qualities strengthen Frodo’s in the
bitter battle against the Ring.

Sam’s
natural hobbit cheerfulness allows him to make light of times of terrible
crisis. After he announces his presence at the secret Council of Elrond, all he
says of the horrible danger that the Quest will involve, is that it is “[a]
nice pickle” (LotR II:2, 264). He
provides several opportunities for Frodo to laugh, which is a great blessing
for a Ring-bearer increasingly beleaguered by despair. The gardener jokes about
ringing the front door at the Tower of Cirith Ungol. He presses on through that
dread, horror-filled place and throughout the Quest because his love for Frodo
feeds his courage. It also feeds his forgiveness, which comes so naturally Sam
does not need to give it conscious thought after Frodo begs for it in the
Tower.

Gandalf
aptly names Sam Hope Unquenchable (Sauron
Defeated 62). The hobbit’s enduring hope destroys any attempt to draw him
into despair. The eyes of his heart see far more than his physical eyes do. He
sees beyond what seem disasters to the possibility that they are not. As Orcs
come straight toward him and Frodo and capture and discovery seem inevitable,
he remains open to the possibility that it is not as bad as it appears. Even as
Mount Doom explodes around them, Sam refuses to give up all hope. In our
culture of death and despair, it is so easy only to see the darkness and to
think things can only get worse. Sam teaches us there is a different way to
look at things and to see beyond what our physical eyes do. What need we have
today to fashion our hearts to model his!

As
we struggle through life with addiction to our own Ring, if we are fortunate,
we will have a Sam with us to support us, for this struggle is not one we can
win alone. It must be won if we are
not to be totally lost. Or perhaps our part in the Music is to be a Sam to
someone and to love our dear one as fiercely and unconditionally as Sam loved
his Frodo; to stand by them through every hardship; to hold them against their
fears, the night that threatens to overwhelm them, the ghosts that walk in
their nightmares, and the horrors that haunt them during the day; to be light
to their darkness, strength to their weakness, peace to their turbulence, hope
to their despair, healing to their open wounds, solace to their grief, warmth
to their coldness, sweetness to their bitterness, even to be ready and willing
to die with them or for them. Imagine what the world would be like if more
people loved and were loved as deeply and purely as Sam loved his Frodo! It
would be beautiful.

The
glowing example of Sam and Rosie’s love, faithfulness, and devotion is another
lesson we sorely need to learn in our era of broken promises and betrayal of
friends and spouses. These two hobbits are open to the gift of life, and,
surrounded by their many children, they celebrate their golden anniversary and
beyond. They show where there is great and true love, many miracles happen.

May
Sam’s example inspire and strengthen us to give “perfect satisfaction” in all
our relationships, as Frodo assured the Gaffer Sam had done (LotR VI:8, 991). Sam would not have
considered himself anyone special, but everyone else, especially Frodo, does.
Both hobbits give us examples of perseverance, loyalty, and dedication to
completing difficult tasks that seem impossible to even survive. May the light
of these heroes, whose stories Tolkien retold “in this very nick of time,” (LotR II:2, 236) serve as a beacon on our
own journeys to Mordor or in confrontation with the Shadow in other ways and
places.

19 August 2014

Darrel Morris is scrimshaw artist whose work features many characters and logos from Middle-earth. One of his most recent works-in-progress is a drawing of Gandalf, the first in a series of drawings exploring the inner essences of Tolkien's characters. He will give away one free signed print (valued at $50) to whomever can come up with the best title for this piece:

13 August 2014

While at Boston Comic Con, a woman dressed in a beautiful Elven gown handed me a flyer for an upcoming Tolkien conference, which just so happens to fall on my birthday weekend (so I'm hoping to be able to attend)!

The conference, which is being held in Albany, NY on the weekend of March 28-29, 2015, is seeking papers on "J.R.R. Tolkien, his works, works based on Tolkien and his works,
criticism, teaching Tolkien in the classroom, the books’ impact on
oneself and/or the world, the films and the film industry, the music,
the art, the fannish side of this universe and its impact, and anything you can imagine on topic".

Examples of welcome topics include:

Flora and fauna of Middle-earth

Clothing in Middle-earth (from both the books and films)

Astronomy of Middle-earth

Food of Middle-earth

The impact of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings on 1960s/1970s popular music

11 August 2014

This past Sunday was my second time attending Boston Comic Con (you can read about my experience last year over at the Middle-earth News). I regretted not cosplaying the last time I went, so this year I decided to brave the heat and wear my Arwen gown.

While I didn't see very many Tolkien-themed cosplays this year (I passed a Galadriel and a Tauriel but didn't have a chance to ask for a photo with either of them), I was lucky enough to run into a man who made his own Gandalf costume and who kindly agreed to take some photos with me.

The highlight of this trip (and my main reason for going) was finally meeting Sean Astin. I had gone to see him in Boston back in 2004 when he was promoting his autobiography, There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale, and again in 2006 at TheOneRing.net's ELF convention in New Jersey; but I'd never had a chance to meet him at either event.

05 August 2014

Burbank, Calif., August 5, 2014 – The Quest through Middle-earth
continues in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, from Academy
Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, when the epic fantasy
adventure is released as an Extended Edition on Blu-ray 3D and
Blu-ray on November 4th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE).
A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, this extended
cut of the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy includes 25 minutes of
extra film footage that extends individual scenes, making this the must-see,
definitive version for fans. Both versions of the Extended Edition
include more than nine hours of new bonus features
that will enrich the experience of the Trilogy as fans gear up for the December
17 theatrical release of the third and final film, The Hobbit: The Battle of
the Five Armies.

The Hobbit: The
Desolation of SmaugExtended
Edition will be available as a 5-disc
Blu-ray 3D set ($54.98 SRP) that features the Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray versions
of the Extended Edition; and a 3-disc Blu-ray ($35.99). Both the
Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray include a digital version of the movie on Digital HD
with UltraViolet.

The nine-plus hours of new special features boasts audio commentary with
Peter Jackson, the film's
director/producer/screenwriter, and Philippa Boyens, co-producer/screenwriter,
as well as “The Appendices,” a multi-part documentary focusing on various
aspects of the film and the Trilogy. Complete special feature details are
provided below the cut..

20 July 2014

Despite the success of Peter Jackson's "Hobbit"
and "The Lord of the Rings" films, many Tolkien fans have been left
yearning for a more accurate portrayal of his classic novels. Those who grew up
in the 70s and 80s may recall the Rankin/Bass television specials "The
Hobbit" (1977) and "The Return of the King" (1980), which by now
have become "classics" in their own right. This Tuesday, Warner Bros. will be releasing remastered deluxe editions of both specials.

"The Hobbit" (1977). Photo: Warner Bros.

Although I was not yet born when these films first came out, I
have seen them numerous times and am very fond of them, especially "The
Hobbit". Contrary to Jackson's "Hobbit" films, the Rankin/Bass
special maintains the spirit of being a children's tale. The whimsical
illustrations, the impeccable cast of voice actors, and an catchy soundtrack
reminiscent of some of the company's other specials ("Frosty the Snowman",
"The Year Without a Santa Claus", and so on) make for a film that is
great fun for the whole family.

As an adaptation, "The Hobbit" manages to find an
equal balance between appealing to longtime Tolkien fans as well as those experiencing
the story for the first time. There are some omissions to the story – Beorn,
for example, has been completely left out – which are clearly done to save time
and avoid complicating the story with too many characters or plot points. Such
omissions do not detract from Tolkien's original story, but instead help to
advance the film in a way that is easy for audiences unfamiliar with
Middle-earth to follow; Tolkien fans will find the lack of new characters, subplots,
and drawn out action scenes to be very refreshing. While the film is by no
means a perfect adaptation of The Hobbit,
it captures most of the essence of the original story and is a great venture into Middle-earth.

17 July 2014

Composer Chance Thomas, who has contributed numerous themes to The Lord of the Rings Online score, has announced via his Facebook page that his piece Theme for Rohan will be performed by the Utah Symphony on September 6:

I am happy to announce the symphonic premiere of my original
composition, THEME FOR ROHAN, to be performed by the Utah Symphony on
September 6, 2014 at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. They have invited
me to guest conduct at the concert. Tickets are already going fast!
Click the image below for ticket information.

THEME FOR ROHAN
will be showcased as part of the Utah Symphony’s Video Games Live
concert series. Video Games Live offers terrific family-friendly
entertainment bursting at the seams with lazer lights, popular video
game footage on a massive screen, good humor, excitement and of course,
lots of beautiful music.

For more information regarding the event – which will include segments from other games, including Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Skyrim, Mass Effect, and more – be sure to visit the Utah Symphony's website!

08 July 2014

Mythmoot III is seeking proposals for 15-20 minute papers on Tolkien and other speculative media. Some themes of particular interest include:

Tolkien in the 21st century– how Tolkien’s works are being engaged with by new generations of fans

Out of this World – Traditional and new angles on fantasy and science fiction

A Game of Games– analysis of fantasy/sci fi gaming from pen-and-paper to MMORPGs

Mythmoot III will be held in Baltimore, MD from on January 10 and 11.

Though Mythmoot III will take place after the premier of the third film, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, it
will include sessions about the latest film and the trilogy as a
whole, along with guest speakers, musicians, artists, a reception and
banquet, paper presentations, and fun and interactive sessions for fans
and academics alike..

First-time presenters are especially encouraged to submit a proposal (250-500 words) proposals@mythgard.orgno later than midnight EDT Sunday, August 31, 2014.

07 July 2014

Vanderbilt University is once again offering its free course on Online Games: Literature, New Media, and Narrative via Coursera. The course, which focuses on Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings Online, explores the process of turning a popular story or film into a video game.

In a recent e-mail update, instructor Jay Clayton noted that there have been a few updates to the course this year:

We’ve
been working on several improvements to the course. Last week we wrapped up filming a new
gameplay session set in Helm’s Deep and Isengard, where we had the chance to
fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and the other
defenders of King Theoden’s mountain retreat. From there, we went on to witness
the Last March of the Ents on Isengard.
Both experiences provided new insights into how video games can handle
tricky narrative situations.

The 7-week course will begin on July 14 and run through September 1. Interested students can register (and learn more about the course) here.

A few days ago, Massively posted a brief article on the lack of raids in The Lord of the Rings Online – something a lot of people complain about. Whenever I post about LOTRO on Facebook and ask people for their opinions, someone always ends up mentioning raids and end game content.

So why, if so many people are complaining, are players not getting the raids they so desire?

Community Manager Rick "Sapience" Heaton posted the following in the LOTRO forums:

Raiders comprise the smallest, by far, group in our game. PvMP players
are far larger and even they are small. in fact together the two groups
wouldn't comprise 10% of the total player base and never have (this is
important. it's not a new thing, it's a long standing historical fact).

Regrettably, I have not yet participated in any real end game content, such as PvMP and raiding. I've made a few attempts to participate in PvMP with my Hunter, Bregolad, but because I am new to PvMP – beyond scrambling around trying to do quests
while hoping no one sneaks up on me – I am hesitant to jump into it
without help. And while I've visited Draigoch's Lair for a glimpse of
the dragon, I have never been able to find the necessary heroes to help
me undertake my first raid.

For that reason, I am not personally bothered by the lack of end-game content (yet?). Since I don't participate in PvMP or any raids so far, my two characters at the level cap tend to take a backseat to my seven other characters who are waiting to level up. Sometimes I'll take my level capped characters to catch up on some old deeds, reach Kindred with any remaining factions, and to participate in any festivals or in-game events.

That being said, if anyone on Landroval wants to help guide me through PvMP (or maybe even a Draigoch run), I'd be extremely grateful for the help!

Do you feel that raiders make up only a small portion of LOTRO players? Should Turbine introduce more end game content? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

06 July 2014

LOTRO players will finally be able to step into West Gondor when Update 14 launches next Monday. In addition to the new landscape – which includes the Paths of the Dead, Blackroot Vale, Lamedon, and the Havens of Belfalas – Update 14 offers some of the following:

Increased level cap (100)

Volume IV of the epic story (free to all players)

Essence System – drops which can be used to upgrade and enhance new gear

The City Watch of Dol Amroth

Global chat channel (accessible via /world and /wd commands)

Justin Olivetti offers a more in-depth look (complete with lots of screenshots!) at what players can expect from Update 14 over at Massively.

25 June 2014

If you've ever wondered how The Lord of the Rings Online stacks up to Tolkien's lore, wonder no more! "The White Council", a new YouTube series from the folks at The Quest Gaming Network, aims to use the popular MMO as a means of teaching others about the deeper meanings behind The Lord of the Rings and some of Tolkien's other writings.

I'm pleased to announce that I (rather, my Champion) will be among the series' rotating hosts as my schedule allows. The show will release on Mondays and Fridays at noon EST with the first episode scheduled for Monday, June 30; in the meantime, you can follow The White Council and Quest Gaming Network on Twitter and 'like' the network on Facebook!

10 June 2014

After nearly three years on the Middle-earth News team, I finally had the opportunity to meet the other US team members. About three weeks ago, we all met up in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania for what we lovingly called "The Long-expected Party".